Track sander



April 22, 1930. HANLON ET AL 1,755,598

- TRACK SANDER Filed Oct. 14, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l 22 P NT' 'RS 14 a L w.

I April 2 2, 1930. J HANLQN ET AL 1,755,598

TRACK SANDER Filed Oct. 14, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .QW LL, ATTE'RNEYEL Patented Apr. 22, 1930 'UNlTED {STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN H. HANLON AND Jenn w. HANLon, or son-Emma, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGN- ORS TO HAN'LON LOCOMOTIVE SANDER COMPANY, OF WINCHESTER, MASSACHU-f SETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS TRACK SANDER Application filed October 14, 1927. Serial No. 226,242.

pipe leading to the desired point of applica-.

tion.

The invention has for an object to provide 7 a sander inwhich waste of sand or discharge thereof at improper times is avoided but which at the proper times will deliver the sand in a fine and even stream, as required. Another object of the invention is to provide 7 a pneumatic sander in which accidental cloggmg of the sand passage by stones or lumps and of the air passages and ports by scale and sediment is reduced to a minimum but in which any obstruction which may occur can be readily removed with minimum trouble and without dismantling or disconnecting the apparatus. A further object of the invention is to provide a pneumaticsander in which erosion of theinterior walls of the sand chambers and passages by the combined action of the'sand and air jets is avoided. A still'further object of the invention is to provide a sander installation in which sand from a single supply chamber or reservoir can be applied to the rail or equivalent traction. surface at a plurality of points.

[The foregoing and other objects of the invention, together with means whereby the latter maybe carried into efiect, will best be un-. derstood from the following description of certain forms or embodimentsth'ereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It will be understood, however, that the particular constructions described .and shown have been chosen for purposes of exemplification merely, and that the invention, as'defin ed by the claims hereunto appended, may be otherwise embodied without departure from the spirit and scope thereof. v

In said drawings Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of' a portion of a locomotive having applied thereto a track sander installation embodying the invention.

Fig. 2is. an enlarged longitudinal section of thesander shown in Fig. 1.

Figf'3 is a section; taken substantially on the line 33, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4c is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified arrangement.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to'Fig. 1 showing an installation for delivering sand to the track at points respectively in front of and behind the front andrear driving wheels of a locomotive. I

Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation, partly in longitudinal section, of the sander shown in Fig. 5. i A

Fig. 7 the line 77, Fig. 6.

'Fig. 8 isa section taken substantially on the line 88, Fig. 7. i 4 In Fig. 1 is showna portion of a'locomotive having a boiler 15, sand dome 16, driving Wheels 17, and to which is applied a track sander indicated as a Whole by the letter A. As shown in Fig. 2, the sander A includes a fitting '18 providing a sand supply chamher or reservoir with which communicates a sand supply pipe 19 leading from a sandbox (not shown) located in the sand dome 16 (Fig. 1), Connected with the fitting l8,as by bolts lt (Fig. 3) is the sand drafter which comprises a fitting 20 having a substantially straight, horizontal, unobstructed sand passage 21 leading laterally from the sand supply chamber of the fitting 18 adjacent the bottom of the latter. At the mouth or inlet end of the passage 21 the upper wall o-f the fitting 20 is projected slightly into the sand supply chamber or reservoir to form adam or bafile 22. Adjacent its outer end the sand passage 21 communicates with a downwardly disposed outlet opening 23 to which is conis' a section taken substantially on I ill nected a sand delivery pipe 24 leading to the rail, the cross-sectional area of the passage 21 being relatively small with respect to that of the outlet 23. At its extreme outer end beyond the outlet 23 the sand passage 21 is provided with a clean-out opening 25 which is normally closed by a removable plug 26. Above the sand passage 21 the fitting 20 is formed with an air passage 27 which is disposed-at a-gene-rallydownward inclination to the horizontal from its inlet 28 at one end to a clean-out opening 29 at the other, said inlet being supplied with air under pressure from any suitable source under the control of "the usual engineers'valve (not shown) through a pipe 30, and said clean-out opening being normally closed'by a removable psug 31. The air passage 27 is connected with the sand passage 2ilby-air ports or orifices arranged to discharge air under pressure into the latterpassag'e in such a manner as to causethe sand to fi-ow the-rethrough from the supply chamber to the outlet 23. One of these air ports or orifices is formed in a nozzle 32 arranged to direct a jet of air into of said ports'are elevated above the adjacent bottom wall of the air passage 27. Said inlets are located adjacent to one another and 'to a clean-out opening 37"nor1nally closed by. a

removable plug 38. Substantially directly opposite the inlet or mouth of the sand passage 21 the fitting 18 is formedwith a preterably upwardly inclined extens on terminating in a clean-outopening '39 which is normally closed by a removable cap or cover 4L0 detachably secured to said fitting by cap screws 41. The cap 40 carries a grid or sieve for preventing the entry of stones or other obstructions into the sand passage 21, said grid comprising a plate 42 disposed with its median plane substantially diametric of the mouth of the sand passage and having parallel fingers 43 (see also Fig. 3) projecting laterally from its opposite faces.

It will be understood that flow of sand through the sander to the rail is controlled by the admission of air under pressure through the pipe 30'and the air passage27 by suitable operation of the engineers valve; When the supply of air is cut off, the sand in the supply chamber will assume approximately the position indicated in Fig. 2, theoverhanging dam or baiile 22 preventingthe entry or any considerable amount of sand into the sand passage 21, and the length and horizontal posit-ion of the latter preventing the improper discharge of sand from the apparatus at this time. The dam or bafile 22 also controls the entry of sand into the passage 21 and permits the entry of only a limited amount into said passage at any time. Vdhen the air is turned on, a jet is delivered by the nozzle into the sand supply chamber to agitate the sand at the mouth of tire passage 21, andia similar jet is directed through the nozzle'82 into the outlet 23, thereby causing the loosened sand to be drawn by ejector action through the relatively contracted passage 2'1,"tob e inixedwith air, and to be discharged into said outlet and thence through the pipe2 l to the rail. By means of the construction shown, a light and uniform fiow of V sand is provided, thereby causing the device to operate eliiciently and without waste. The grid formed by the plate l 2'a-nd fingers 4:8 pi'even tstlre entry "into the sand passage 21 of stones or lumps too large to pass -'therethrough, while the straight unobstructedilower wa ll ozt' said passage not only permits'thesand to how freely and evenly underthe action ofthe air but permits any obstruction which inay'pass the grid to move freely along with the sand and pass out at the outlet. $hould,however, any obstruction'become lodged in the sand passage 21 orin'th'e sandsupply chamber, it maybe readily and quickly removed through the clean-out opening'25 or 39 by lelI-IOVlll-g the plug 26 or cover 40, as the case-may he, withoutdisconnecting theapparatus. It is found in practice that, duetethe'extended portion of the chamber 18 with which the 'cleanout opening 39 communicates,tl1e cover a'EOca-n be removed when the sander is in operation without substantial'loss of sand through said cleanout opening, thereby permittingobservation of the operation and the'convenient removal of "any obstruction which tendsto impede it. This ability to remove the cover 40 when the device is in operation without loss oi sand is further contributed to by the upward inclination of the extension in question, which inclination, however, is preferably not suflicient to prevent direct access 'to the passage 21 through the cleanout opening 89. ingly, due to the substantially straight form of said passage, and the provision of the cleanout openings 25 and 39 at the opposite endsthereof, it is possible to pass a straight implement, introduced through either of said openings, completelythrough said passage to dislodge an obstruction which might otherwise bedilficult of removal and force the same through the other of said openings. The generally downward inclination of the air passage 27 from its inlet '28 causes any scale or other foreign matter entering said passage to move downwardly toward the dead end thereof, thereby reducing the tendency of said foreign matter to become lodged at Accord- 'llU 1 tux LJU the inlets ofthe airports, this tendency being further reduced by the heads 36- which elevate said inlets above the bottom wall of said passage. quantity of oil-saturated waste 44 is preferably placed in the lower dead end of the air passage 27 adjacent the clean-out opening 29 and serves to collect anyscale or sediment reaching said end and prevent its rebound into the vicinityof the air ports. From time to time the plug 31 may-be removed and the waste 4E4 renewed. At this time, by'opening the engineers valve, the compressed air may be caused to sweep through the passage :27 and opening 29 to force out any sediment which may have been deposited in said passage at any point. i If, however,notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, there should become lodged in the inlet of eitherair port an obstruction which can not be blown out by the sweep of air through the'air passage, such obstruction can be readily dislodged through the clean-out opening 37 by removing the plug 38.

As above pointed out, the jet of air delivered'by the nozzle 35 is substantially alined with the mouth or inlet of the sand passage 21, so that said et is delivered directly into 7 the body of sand'in the supply chamber to agitate and-loosen the'same and cause it to be carried along by the air currents insaid passage 21. It will be observed, however, that the direction of said jet is such'as not to cause the same to impinge upon any of the walls of either the sand chamber or the sand passage, so that While it performs its intended function in an eificientmanner, there is no tendency to abrade said walls by the action of the sand blast.

The construction shown in Fig. 4 is substantially identical with that shown in Fig.2 with the exception that the fitting 20 is shown as connected directly With the sand box 45 instead of with a separate fitting receiving the sand from the sand box through a supply pipe. It will be seen that in this construction the sandbox 45 itself constitutes the sand supply chamber or reservoir, the operation being otherwise substantially as in the construction first described.

Figs. 5 to 8 illustrate a duplex installation for delivering sand at a plurality of points simultaneously, as, for example, in front of the forward driving wheel 46 and behind the rear driving wheel 47 of a locomotive. In this construction the horizontally disposed fitting 180, corresponding to the fitting 18 in the constructon first described, is formed with an ear 48 forattachment to the locomotive boiler, with oppositely disposed outlets to which are connected substantially identical sand drafter fittings 20, and With an inlet between said outlets with which the sand supply pipe 19 communicates. In this construetion the clean-out opening 390 normally closed by the removable cap 40 is located substantially opposite the sand supply pipe connection and substantially. midway between the inlet ends of the fittings 20, and the grid 420 carried by said cap is disposed crosswise of the sand chamber. adjacentv the end of the sand supply pipe and substantially. diametric of the sand passage inlthe latter.

The duplex arrangement last described, in addition to simplifying the installation by the employment of a single outside sand box connection or supply pipe 19, also serves to guard against stoppage of the sand supply through either sand drafter due to disuse.

In locomotives having separate pneumatic.

sand drafters for front and rear driving wheels, as heretofore mstalled, separate sand 'supply'connections for the respective sand drafters have been employed. iInsuch an installation, when either sand drafter remains unused for any considerable time. (as frequently occurs in the'case of the sander for the rear driver when the locomotive is in main line service), the sand in. thesupply connections, supply chamber, and sand passages becomes cakedand, due to the heat of the boiler, baked into a solid massflwhich, before the sander can'beagain used,must be broken up by a suitable implement and: re-

moved; Such caking'of the'sandalso results in corrosion of the walls of=the sand passages, so that even'after theremoval of the obstruction the free flow .ofsand is interfered with. In the installation hereinlshown, 7

erally'from the sand supply chamber or reservoir, a grid disposed adjacent the mouth of the passage, a'downwardly disposed outlet leading from the outer end of said passage, and'means fordischarging air under pressure into said passage to cause sand to flow from said chamber or reservoir to said outlet. 7 V 2. A track sander having a sand supply chamber or reservoir, a sand passage communicating therewith, and a grid in said chamber or reservoir adj acent the end of said passage, said gridincluding a flat member pre sented edgewise to said passage and disposed substantially diametric thereof.- r

3. A track sander having a sandpassage,

a 'sandsupply'chamber or reservoir, andla grid in said chamber or reservoir adjacent the end of said passage, said-grid comprising a plate disposed with its median plane sub..-

sta ntiallyiliainetric (Sf-said:im'ssaagvza'andjiav ing paral lel fingersiproj ecting laterally from it's-opposite faces. r V v '4. A track sander havi-ng'a sand stipply -charhber or reservoiry'a sanchiaassixge, aeleandut t o'p'en-in'g for said chamber oi reservoir, a cover -zfor=norinal'ly closing the said cleanoutopening, a ndrargridcarried abyrsaid cover end l ying "ad-jacentthe inner end organ ipassage whensaidcover IldIL-P'liZCG.

A track sander having a snbstantially straight :horizontal sand passage lea ding -later-all'y from'thezsand supply ch-ainber'or reservoir at the bottom 'of the latter, an in} cli'ned air passage above said sand passage, means for supplying air tinder pressure to said air passage, Fand ai-r :ports connecting saidfpassages abovethe lower end of-said air passage. V

6. A tra'ck sander having a sand passage, an air passage above said "sand Epassage, ineans for snppl'ying *air under pressure to said air passage, and air ports connecting said lpassages, the inlets *o'fsaidpoiit's being elevated above the "adjacent bot-tom wall of said air passage.

v7. A track sander havinga sand passage, air ipassage havinghn i-nlet atone en-d and a normally "closed cleanout opening at the other, means it'or supplying air under res stub 'to said inlet, and "air xp'drts connecting said sand and air passages intermediate the ends bf the latter. v

8. A track sander having a sand passage,

an air passage terminating at one end of the V sander, means for 'su'pp'lyihg 'air under pressure to said air passage, an air port connectsaid passages, and a noinla'l'ly 'clesed 'cleanout opening in the exterior of the sander c'ommnnic'a'ting with said aii passage adjacent said air port. r

'9. A track sander having "a sanclsnpply chamber or reservoir, a sand passage leading therefrom; an air passage, means for supplying air under :pressn-re to said air passage, air ports connecting said passages hnd arranged respectively to discharge jets of air into the outlet (if said sand passage and into said chamber or reservoir adjacent the inlet of'said sand passage, and a normal-1y closed cleano'ut opening 'communicating with said air passage, the inlets of both of said air ports being adjacent said cleanout opening.

A track sander installation for locomotives andthe like comprising a fittii-iig providing a central sand chamber, a single sand supply pipe communicating therewith, and sand drafters communicatingwith said new tral chamber at opposite sides and each adapted to draw Sfiild from'said 'chainber and discharge it upon the tails, said fitting hava normally closed 'leanoutopening substantially opposite said supply pipe and substantia-liy midway between the sand drafter connections.

:l l A 't-ia-ck sander including a horizontally disposed fitting ,providinga sand supjply chamber having oppositely; disposed out,- lets and an inlet between said outlets, and a grid "disposed crosswise ofsaid chamber Opposite-said inlet-to restrict the flow ofsa'nd through-the latter.

12. *A 'track sander installation for locomotives and the like havinga central sand chamber, a "single sand supply connection vcoinnnlnicatingtherewith, substantially horiz'ontal sa-nd passages leading i-n'opposite ,directions from said chamber, :a dam or 'bafiie fprojecting into said "chamber "above each of said passages-and means for dischargingair nnder {pressure into either of said passages to cause sand to flow therethrough from said chanfber. I c I V 13. A track sander having asand supply chamber, a sand passage leading laterally from said chamber, means for discharging air under pressure into said p-as'sage't'oIdraw sandrfrom said chamber thereinto/and dischar ei-the same therefrom, and anex'tension communicating with's'aid chamber at the sicle thereof opposite said passage-and having a nori'mally c'losedcleanout opening at'i'ts outer en-. a r V c r '14. A track -sander-havin-g a sand supply chamber, a sand passage leading laterally from -said chamber, means for discharging air under pressure into "said passage to draw sand from said chamber thereinto and dis- TCharg-e the sametherefrom, said chamber having an upwardly inclined portion oppo; site said passage, and a normally closed .Cleanout opehin-g communicating with said inclined portion.

1 5; A track sander having a sand supply chamber, a substantially "straight sandpassage leading laterally from said chamber, an outlet leading from said passage adjacent the outer end thereof, a normally closed cleanout opening at 'the end of said passage beyond said outlet, a normally .close'd clea'nbut opening communicating with said chain'- ;ber directly opposite said passage, and means independent of said cleanout openings and of the closures thereiorffoi discharging air un der pressure into said passage toicanse sand to flow from said chamber to said 'on't'let.

, 16; A track sander having a supply chamber, a substantially straight, horizont-al, unobstructed sand passage leading later-ally from said chamberand terminating in downwardly disposed outlet, the crosssectional area of said passage beingrelatively small with respect to that ofsaidbutlet, and means for discharging a jetof air under pressure outwardly through said ,outlet, said sand passage forming a substantially straight, horizontal, unobstructed path of travel for the sand from said chamber to said outlet. i a i J '17. A track sander having a sand supply tures.

JOHN H. HANLON. JOHN W. HANI ON. 

